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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. degree — temperature
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. vault — a safe
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. swing — music
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. craft — boats
  12. swing — to play on
  13. fork — in a road
  14. spring — of water
  15. degree — from a university
  16. craft — a skill
  17. spring — the season
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. degree — an amount
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — for digging
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. spring — a coil

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com